Nearly three years after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, anti-Jewish hate is as strong as ever. There was no expectation that it would diminish with time. The days, weeks, and months have been used to foment even more hate and lies. This isn’t a new experience for Israelis and the Jewish community at large. It is, sadly, part of their existence.
The regularity with which antisemites spew their evil is shocking. It was a reality long before Oct. 7. Now, it’s seeped into modern discourse in alarming fashion. What’s even more disturbing is that both major political parties have serious antisemitism problems. We can argue over which side is worse, but that’s a pointless exercise. Doing so suggests we should feel more comfortable with right-wing antisemitism than left-wing antisemitism. And we shouldn’t.
When calling out antisemitism, one is met with a variety of complaints. These are very thinly veiled attempts to justify hate. Included among them: but Jews don’t believe as Christians do, the Israeli government isn’t perfect, and we should be America first, not Israel first.
The public is not required to share the same faith with people who have been oppressed and brutalized for millennia. Defending Jews against efforts to destroy them is the morally right thing to do. We don’t have to believe the same to arrive at that point. Neither do we have to endorse everything the Israeli government does. Only foolish people believe shared political and policy objectives are required before allying with a nation that must protect itself against terrorism. Additionally, supporting Israel isn’t abandoning America. The U.S.’s relationship with Israel is necessary for Israel’s thriving and survival. It also directly affects the regional stability in that corner of the world. That in turn directly affects America, the leader of the free world, as a force for democratic good.
In news, media, and culture more broadly, there is an epidemic of antisemitism. The reactions to rapper Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour following statements on Palestine are a recent example. After Sheeran received pushback, he tried to straddle the line and please both sides. It didn’t work. Tickets for Macklemore’s recently announced “Free Palestine” tour are now sold out.
This is just one example. All across Hollywood, the Free Palestine movement thrives. On Piers Morgan’s show, well-known figures such as Megyn Kelly and Dave Smith repeat the “genocide” talking points. Candace Owens continues her lies. Politicians such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed skirt around issues involving Israel and/or refuse to condemn terrorist apologists.
All across social media, big and small names alike treat Israel as the enemy and aggressor, even though it was Israel that was attacked on Oct. 7. Polling this year from both NBC News and the Pew Research Center shows massive drops in how Americans view both Israelis and their government.
It is a morally disastrous sign of our times that what used to exist on the extremes and in the shadows is swiftly being normalized. This normalization is due to both ignorance of the subject matter and willful hatred. Some are programmed to hate Jews from birth, due to their religious or ethnic upbringings. Some develop this hate on their own due to social media exposure on sites such as TikTok and other platforms. Regardless of the point of origin, it is spreading. Worse yet, it’s becoming socially acceptable.
On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists descended on the Nova music festival and various kibbutz communities around Israel. Innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered in horrific fashion. The attack killed 1,219 people, while 251 people were taken hostage. Time has erased neither the horror nor the heartache. The weight of that day must be remembered.
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Antisemitism is a vile reality. It inhabits both the political Left and political Right. It’s a festering sore, and the infection is spreading. It does no good to either pretend it’s a nonissue or only point to our opponents as the real culprit.
Addressing the growing threat requires uncomfortable conversations and boundary lines. Hatred of Jews is not made acceptable because it comes from someone who shares our politics, our religion, our race, or our worldview.